Zoom Workshop 139: Delightful Dandelions

Delightful Dandelions: Weeds Worth Our Wonder

Botanical Art Online Workshop: Making Dandelion Plant Drawing Easy

Join us for a two-day workshop!

Sunday, August 2, 2026: 2pm – 6pm ET

Wednesday, August 5, 2026: 6pm – 7:30pm ET

✏️ Instructors: Pam Thompson & Sam McWilliams
✅ Level: All levels
🌱 Botanical Subject(s): Dandelions

Workshop Description

Dandelions are everywhere! They’re such common weeds that we often step on them without a second thought. But when we stop and really look at nature’s largely overlooked wildflowers, we discover just how much beauty, structure, and surprising detail is packed into every stage of their life. From cheerful yellow blooms to feathery seed heads floating on the breeze, the dandelion turns out to be one of the most rewarding botanical drawing subjects around. We hope nature nerds and botanical artists of all skill levels will join us for this joyous, helpful, and fun workshop.

Why Dandelions Are Such Wonderful Wildflowers to Draw

Every stage of the dandelion offers something beautiful and interesting to practice

Dandelions are the perfect botanical drawing subject because they are both familiar and endlessly fascinating. That cheerful yellow flower head is actually dozens of tiny florets layered together. The seed head is a perfect sphere of feathery parachutes. And the whole plant, from its rosette of jagged leaves to its hollow stem, gives us a wonderful range of shapes, textures, and colors to explore. They’re also wonderfully accessible: easy to find, free to gather, and full of the kind of satisfying detail that makes botanical art so rewarding.

What We’ll Practice

Here’s what we’ll explore together in this workshop:

•Drawing circles and ellipses in perspective — a foundational skill that makes every rounded botanical form easier to draw
•Capturing layered petals and delicate details with accuracy and confidence
•Rendering fluffy, luminous seed heads — including a fun technique using tan Stonehenge Kraft paper that makes those white seedheads glow
•Watercolor and colored pencil together — learning how these two media complement each other for rich, realistic results
•Observational drawing skills — reading light, shadow, value, and texture the way botanical artists do… Learn more